Lala's to reopen: Dive bar's new owners promise same Christmas spirit

Lala's Little Nugget will reopen on Friday, September 11.
Photo by Arden Ward

Editor's note: Representatives of Lala's Little Nugget confirmed that the bar is officially open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 4 pm to 2 am. The original date was set for Friday, September 11, with service scheduled for seven days a week.

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Nice try, Mr. Grinch.

After rumors began circulating that Lala's Little Nugget — the famed dive bar off Burnet Road that celebrates Christmas all year long — would be shuttering for good, the new owners of the establishment have clarified the bar's future.

Yes, it's true that Lala's closed this past week without warning. However, the holiday-themed bar will reopen soon under a new owners that are dedicated to keeping the Christmas spirit alive.

The new regime comprises a mixture of bar veterans from around town. In addition to Matt Luckie, Max Moreland (Mean Eyed Cat, Lavaca Street Bar, and Gibson Street Bar), and Anggay Tenney (The Wheel), Ryan Garrett and Mike Levine of Stubb's Bare-B-Q are also at the helm.

"We're in the business of keeping these Austin hangouts as the best versions of themselves and are not replaced with condos," Moreland said in a press release. "Lala's has been an Austin institution for a long time and we want to make sure it remains the great neighborhood bar it always has been."

Moreland assisted with the Mean Eyed Cat overhaul in 2013, which included a much-needed revamping of the space that didn't sacrifice the iconic Johnny Cash theme. Due to the success of this project and others, Moreland and Luckie were tapped by Lala's regulars Levine and Kelly Chappel when the two got wind that Lala's was poised to close after 43 years of holiday cheer.

"We saw the way the team updated Mean Eyed Cat. It still reflects the best of the place but is better, and we hoped to maintain the flavor of Lala's in a similar way," said Chappel in the release. "So regulars note: The Bloody Mary will not be changing," and neither will the beloved Christmas decorations.

However, Lala's is still due for a facelift. The new owners plan to renovate the space later this fall by expanding the interior and building an outdoor patio. The biggest change comes in the form of a new addition to the menu: barbecue from Stubb's will soon be available to Lala's patrons.

Following the reopening, Lala's will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 4 pm to 2 am.